In a symbolic and celebratory gesture, the European Space Agency (ESA) has transmitted Johann Strauss II's iconic waltz, "The Blue Danube," into deep space. This event commemorates the 200th anniversary of Strauss's birth and the 50th anniversary of the ESA. Despite its strong association with space—most notably through its inclusion in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey"—"The Blue Danube" was not included on the Golden Records aboard the Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977. These records were intended to represent the diversity of life and culture on Earth to any extra-terrestrial life forms that might encounter them. The omission of Strauss's waltz has been referred to as a "cosmic mistake," which this recent transmission aims to rectify .